Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

Having been in his wonderful area only since November I read your paper with relish to absorb the feelings of the locals.

The dogs on death row issue has been going strong now, on the county level, for some time. I'll have to say I was on the side of the dogs till after reading the letter to the editor from Ms. Morris, last week.

She wrote a very concise, to-the-point letter, that truly explained, to us non-livestock owners, what the law is and why it's there. It made sense. It's nice to see both sides of an issue before jumping to a conclusion as I did and I'm sure many of your other readers did also. Thanks for printing such an informative letter.

Cala Kennedy

My thanks to Sherry Morris and the other members of the Deschutes County Dog Control Board for their willingness to serve in a position that most of us would not envy.

The board is called on when a problem has already occurred and emotions are likely to be running high. They have the job of evaluating a dog/livestock incident, hearing from all parties involved and making a decision on what actions are dictated by Oregon state law. While I doubt that receiving angry or even threatening phone calls at home were part of the job description, these have occurred often enough for board members to start screening their calls before answering the phone.

As a dog owner, I am a strong proponent of keeping our dogs home to ensure their safety. There are many tools available to us including physical or electronic containment. My chosen breed (Siberian Husky) is at high risk for chasing livestock should they be allowed to run free; I therefore have both a kennel with a double entry and an electronic containment system around the rest of the property.

In spite of my stringent precautions and containment philosophies, my greatest fear is the chance of a dog escape and a resulting tragedy.

Should the law be eased? Hard question. The more "gray zone," the more chance of lawsuits. Are we willing as taxpayers to pay for legal liability coverage for the volunteers sitting on the Dog Control Board so that responsible dog owners experiencing truly an accidental escape have a chance to spare their dog's life? If not, should these decisions be made by the legal system which has such coverage? Are we willing to tie up our court system and finances on this issue? Will owners of an impounded dog really choose to pay boarding fees for the several months it may take the issue to come to court?

No easy answers.

Sincerely,

Karen Yeargain

Having been a sheep raiser, recently relocated from the Valley, I found Sherry Morris's letter brimming with common sense.

This is something I see lacking in our Deschutes County Commissioners. Maybe Ms. Morris and the rest of the Dog Control Board should exchange places with our elected officials. I like the idea of people being held responsible for their own actions. Maybe we should add it to the school courses, and make it the fourth "R" -- responsibility.

William H. Bazoal

Bend

My pony Ed got hurt bad by two mean dogs. Not all dogs are nice. Please have people keep their dogs home so kids like me won't have another rotten summer.

Billy K. Baxter

We had the opportunity to hear a presentation given by Kirsten Werner on January 28. She is a tremendous resource when it comes to the youth of this community.

It was scary hearing the problems that do exist and how young some juvenile offenders are. Just because we're a tiny town does not mean we are immune to big city problems. The JET program has a wonderful success rate and Kirsten's positive attitude helped us feel hopeful.

We encourage all parents to hear her speak given the opportunity. We thank the City of Sisters for having the JET program and hope funding for the future is secure.

Sincerely,

The staff, parents and volunteers of Sisters Head Start